News, analysis, and reflections on the author Michael Crichton, his books, and his other works

Saturday, April 25, 2009

ER Tribute to Michael Crichton

When Michael Crichton died, there was a brief tribute to him that aired at the beginning of ER on Nov. 13, 2008. It featured Eriq La Salle (who played Dr. Peter Benton) .

Then on April 2, 2009, just before the final episode of the series, NBC aired the documentary "ER Retrospective" which contained the following comments:Steven Spielberg:

When Michael Crichton left us, he left a grand legacy in both television and motion pictures, but it’s ironic that the show is gonna retire its number in the same year that Michael left us.

John Wells (ER Executive Producer) :

The final episode is a bit of a homage to what we did in the first episode, in the pilot. And I felt as if he wrote it with me, you know. We had sat in a room and made the changes, and the things we needed to do in the pilot script. And I kept feeling like he was still there with me.

Noah Wyle (actor who played John Carter):

I would love to have him there when we have our finale party, be able to shake his hand and thank him for the life I lead.

But you know, I always felt he was watching, I was always aiming to please.

I would have liked a longer recognition of Crichton’s contribution as the creator of ER, but that’s my own bias. With 15 seasons, the retrospective had a great deal of ground to cover.

But I had wondered if there would be any kind reference to Michael Crichton in the final episode, titled “And in the End...”. The powers that be did not disappoint. In one scene, Dr. Morris is standing outside the ER and is freezing. He complains about the cold and says, “Global warming! A couple of those scientists should spend April in Chicago.”

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About Me

Marla Warren is a bookseller, writer, and former English teacher.
She has a B.A. in psychology from Bradley University, a B.A. in English education from Illinois State University, and a M.A. in journalism from Northern Illinois University.
Contact Marla at
kahlessa at gmail dot com